Newsletter
Week 8 Term 3

Supporting boys' learning at home and school 

We often refer to the tripartite relationship between parents, teachers and students and the importance of forging strong partnerships between home and school to support boys’ learning.

Traditionally, as boys progress from primary school to middle school and into their senior years of schooling, the type and amount of support parents provide changes. This can be attributed to several factors.

Firstly, as the complexity of the subject matter increases, parents often find themselves unable to answer certain questions or access particular concepts. This is certainly no reflection on a parent’s intelligence; it’s simply a case of ‘use it or lose it’. For many of us, we have not had to solve quadratic equations or apply complex scientific theories for many years.

Another contributing factor is adolescent development. Typically, middle school aged boys are entering a phase where they rely less on parental support, view their peers as the most important people in their lives and crave independence. This can be a difficult time for parents as they want to support their son to achieve his best, take an interest in his learning, and provide moral support as he navigates this often tumultuous time of his development.

Last year’s MMG survey revealed that approximately one-third of Middle School parents surveyed felt they did not know how to support their son’s learning at home. While this may not be as straightforward or as easy as it was during his primary years, there are several ways parents can support their young tween or teen’s learning.

By the time a boy reaches Senior School, he should be taking full responsibility for his homework, revision and assignment completion. Throughout his Middle School years, it is imperative that we provide the opportunities for him to develop the mechanisms to reach this goal.

In last week’s Newsletter, Deputy Headmaster Teaching and Learning Steve Uscinski encouraged students to prioritise progress rather than chasing perfection or focusing solely on achievement. This is equally, if not more, important for parents. It is critical to show our boys that we value the process of learning, recognise failure and productive struggle as part of this process, and are not entirely consumed or motivated by results.

Avoid promising elaborate rewards for academic prizes or an A on end of semester reports. This can be incredibly disheartening, especially for boys who have not attained these grades despite their best efforts. It also places much greater value on the product rather than the process. Instead, focus on encouraging the pursuit of personal best, the development of learning goals that support progress, and take time to acknowledge when progress is made or goals are achieved.

From Year 7, all boys at BGS develop a Learning Plan where they are encouraged to use feedback from their teachers and reflections on their own learning to identify growth areas.

In Middle School, boys are developing their ability to set targeted and specific learning goals. For example, ‘I can recall and accurately apply the correct formula when calculating the area of shapes.’ We aim to shift boys away from performance-oriented goal setting (e.g. ‘I want to achieve a B in Maths’) to ensure the onus remains on the learning process and allows boys to take greater ownership over their learning.

Parents should take time to regularly check in with their son to see how he is progressing with his goals, ask him about the strategies he is employing to achieve them and prompt him to consider ‘what’s next?’ to further support his learning.

Establishing regular home routines is one of the most effective ways to support learning. Help create a planner where cocurricular commitments are mapped out and an adequate amount of time is set aside each day to complete homework and revision.

Provide a space for homework completion where progress can be easily monitored, particularly when your son is working on a tablet and can be easily distracted.

Insist on certain expectations (e.g. ‘no computer games until homework is complete) to develop his motivation and self-regulation and to help negate the unnecessary arguments that sometimes ensue around homework. If he chooses not to do his homework, parents must allow their son to experience the school-based consequences that follow rather than engage in the ‘homework battle’.

Understanding the difference between ‘homework’ and ‘study’ and being cognisant of different revision techniques is also beneficial. Too often, boys view study as simply reading over the textbook or completing a few practice questions. In their book Understanding How We Learn, authors Yana Weinstein and Megan Sumeracki provide parents with a useful overview of effective revision techniques. Some are summarised below:

• Spaced practice: Revising previously learned content, skills or topics, rather than focusing solely on the most recently learned information.
• Retrieval practice: Recalling, describing and explaining what has been learned from memory.
• Elaboration: Explaining how what is being learned now relates to or connects with what has been previously learned.
• Dual coding: Representing concepts or ideas in different formats (i.e. visually, and verbally). For example, creating a concept map to illustrate what is being learned in Science or constructing a written paragraph to explain a particular diagram.

This semester, our Year 8 students will delve more deeply into these techniques through their participation in our Applied Thinking subject. Other Middle School boys will be increasingly exposed to various techniques through Consolidation and Preparation toolkit sessions.

At the start of this article, I referred to the tripartite relationship between parents, students and teachers. Parents are strongly encouraged to maintain open communication with our staff and seek feedback if they have any questions or concerns about their son’s progress and wellbeing. Establishing this important home-school connection is the first step parents can take to support their son’s learning at home.

Brisbane Grammar School has a long and proud tradition of offering scholarships and bursaries to boys who have demonstrated they have the potential to derive great benefit from a Brisbane Grammar School education.

Academic Scholarships (Trustees’ Scholarships) are awarded on the basis of demonstrated academic excellence to boys commencing Year 7 or Year 10 in 2023, based on their performance in the annual ACER Scholarship Exam, an interview with the Headmaster, and a willingness to contribute to the wider school community.

The ACER Scholarship Examination will be held at the School on Saturday 26 February 2022. Registration is only available online here until midnight AEDST Monday 7 February 2022. The cost of registration is $140.

Jamie Smith
Director of Enrolments

Cocurricular group photos

All Cocurricular group photos will be taken on Monday 11 October.

The photo schedule is available on MyGrammar.

Groups include all Music ensembles, Debating, Fencing, Cross Country, Tennis, Gymnastics, Chess, Cricket First XI, Football First XI, Rugby First XV, Duke of Edinburgh Award, and makeup photos.

Please check the schedule carefully and be at the photo station five minutes before the scheduled time. No insert photos will be taken.

• Boys in Music ensembles wear performance uniform. Please bring white shirt and tie.
• Cross Country teams wear Cross Country singlet and shorts. 
• Fencing teams wear whites.
• Cricket First XI wear game day whites and school blazer.
• Football First XI and Rugby First XV wear game day strip and school blazer. 
• Please bring the appropriate uniform and sports shoes. If you are in a Firsts team, please remember to bring your school blazer.

From tomorrow (Friday 3 September), a call menu will be introduced for the main reception phone line on 07 3834 5200.

The menu will provide callers with options to direct your call. The options include: Student Absence and School Marshal’s Office; Enrolment enquiries; Middle School Reception; IT Department; Accounts and Finance Department; Head of Senior School and Student Office enquiries; Cocurricular, Sports and Activities Office enquiries; Grammar Shop; Headmaster’s Office; and all other enquiries.

There will be no change to the Middle School reception process.

Mask Wearing

At the end of three weeks of wearing masks at School, I want to praise the boys for doing the right thing. It is great to see the older boys modelling this practice for our younger students. I am also proud they understand masks are a significant protective factor against the virus.

My oldest son who works in finance in Melbourne has had a challenging journey. I feel for him, and for the school students who have had their school year significantly interrupted. While we in Queensland have been more protected from the harshness of the lockdowns in NSW and Victoria, we should continue to monitor our own students. Constant negative news and the uncertainty of when the pandemic might end may affect student wellbeing.

I write regularly about the importance of the partnership between School and home, as I have learned this is crucial to each boys’ success. If you are concerned about your son’s progress during this challenging period, please contact the relevant Head of Year.

We Want You

One of the issues faced by staff at AFL House in Cairns is the lack of football boots for the kids. To support Indigenous girls and boys at AFL House, BGS students have set up a We Want You campaign in the Middle School and Senior School, collecting football boots to be transported to Cairns.

From Week 10, students in Years 9 to 12 can place clean boots in the collection bin outside my office. Middle School students can donate to the collection bin outside Ms Campbell's office.

I hope that you are able to support this project by donating boots that may be too small for your son next season. Please remind your son to clean his old boots before donating them.

Director of Boarding
Berian Williams-Jones

Harlin House Update

As we approach the end of Term 3, I want to update you regarding the redevelopment of Harlin House.

You will be aware that we intended to have the refurbishment completed by the start of Term 4. Unfortunately, this will not be the case.  The construction market in Brisbane has been adversely impacted by a range of issues related to the pandemic, including delayed access to building materials and labour.  Our contractors have endeavoured to progress the project as best they can, and they have informed us that Harlin House will not be ready for the boys to return next term. The revised open date is Term 1 2022. 

To minimise any disruption to studies in Term 4, particularly in the Senior School, we have decided to keep the boarders in 89 Gregory Terrace for the remainder of this year. The boys are well settled in that facility and continue to enjoy the quality spaces it provides.

The Harlin House redevelopment works have been extensive, with only the exterior shell of the building remaining at one point. Since then, new electrical, lighting, fire safety and communication services have been installed. To the delight of the boys, a new airconditioning system has also been installed, which will provide boys with a degree of control in their private rooms.

We can now begin to see the fabric of the house take shape. The modular design of the rooms has resulted in a great deal of the construction take place offsite. However, we have seen countless modules brought to the campus and carefully lifted into place over the past few weeks.

As you can see from the below pictures, we can now begin to appreciate what the new facilities within the house will look like. I will continue to share images of the works with you as the building progresses.

Director of Outdoor Education
Derek Jervis

It was wonderful to welcome Year 10 students back to Moogerah for the start of their year level experience. The Year 10 program is focused on leading others, and the students complete a three-day expedition planned and executed by their group. The expedition includes a visit to Pulpit Rock to explore the unique volcanic feature and rock climbing on the rock’s two faces. The groups then continue their journey along the Teviot Range to a remote campsite before hiking back to Pepperina Hill to complete reflection activities and wrap up their Moogerah journey.

Zubair Islam was an enthusiastic participant who motivated his group and helped them stay positive during the challenges. Jonathan Neep proved to be a strong navigator and volunteer leader. Jonathan led the group through some critical navigation decisions. Riley Walsh was a strong natural leader who was celebrated by his peers for his planning, organisation, and leadership.

Ethan VanderWal put effort into every aspect of the program. Ethan committed to his group’s goal of reaching the summit of Mt Moon and was willing to work hard removing lantana during the service project. Tom Brittain was an excellent volunteer who showed initiative. Tom prepared breakfast for the whole group and was a mature and thoughtful student.

Brad Macintosh was a strong leader who spoke openly and honestly. Brad was a confident navigator and chose the appropriate leadership style for the situation. Sebastian Roy Bryant proved to be a mature and hardworking student who was an asset to his expedition group. He showed initiative and was recognised by staff and students for his effort.

Sam Forbes reflected on his experiences at Moogerah and wrote: “Moogerah is a special place to all BGS men. It is a place where you grow, learn, mature and bond with your mates. It is a week that everyone looks forward to throughout the year. The experience is hard, but it is so worth it in the end because you not only get to look back on yourself throughout the years, but you also watch your peers grow with you.”

A short movie of the boys’ experiences can be viewed via the 10A Video link.

Director of Student Wellbeing Programs
Philippa Douglas

Public Purpose 

BGS Public Purpose is fundraising to support the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital Patients in Need Program. Helping patients for more than five years, the program provides clothing for patients when they need it most. Those supported can include victims of sexual assault, homeless people and mental health patients.

The BGS Public Purpose Committee will use the donations of generous community members to purchase essential clothing such as tracksuit pants, t-shirts, socks and jumpers for patients in the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital. Every dollar counts, and donating as little as $5 can go towards an extra piece of clothing.

Click the 'donate now' button below to be redirected to the payment gateway. Enter a dollar amount (between $5.00 and $50.00) then click 'process payment' at the bottom of the page.

Come through and support the blue!

Donate Now

Team	name
5A	Gregory Terrace
5B	Gregory Terrace
5C	Gregory Terrace
6A	Gregory Terrace
6B	Gregory Terrace
6C	Gregory Terrace
7A	Gregory Terrace
7B	Gregory Terrace
7C	Gregory Terrace
7D	Gregory Terrace
7E	Gregory Terrace
8A	Gregory Terrace
8B	Gregory Terrace
8C	Gregory Terrace
8D	Brisbane Grammar School
8E	Brisbane Grammar School

Team	name
5A	Ashley Boutcher
5B	Lachlan Tan
5C	Leon Xiao
6A	Raul Selva
6B	Tom Aitchison
6C	Charlie Wang
7A	Alexander Huang
7B	Luke Carter
7C	Matthew Amato
7D	Zac Wrigley
7E	Jamie Homer
8A	Marcus Forbes
8B	Charlie Prebble
8C	Fraser Salisbury
8D	Alvin Wang
8E	Luke Telford

Team	name
11A	Gregory Terrace
11B	Gregory Terrace
11C	Gregory Terrace
12A	Draw
12B	Gregory Terrace
13A	Brisbane Grammar School
13B	Brisbane Grammar School

Team	name
11A	Tom Rollason
11B	Will Angelini
11C	Francis Wallwork
12A	Lewis Hay
12B	Bryce Evans
13A	Lachlan Russell
13B	Douglas Forno

Team	name
10 Years	Dal Ekeocha
11 Years	Tom Rollason
12 Years	Hudson Slater
13 Years	Archie Boorer
14 Years	Anson Qiu-Tang

2021 Public Speaking Competition entertains in quarantine

During home-based learning, many of our cocurricular activities were put on hold. But our Middle School Public Speaking applicants from Years 5 to 8 bravely took the online stage and offered us welcome moments of entertainment, information and inspiration. The boys’ determination to participate during this time of uncertainty displayed the impressive work ethic and resilient attitude that our BGS community celebrates.

The recorded finals were presented during online assemblies; this allowed the boys to connect with their peers with considered opinions about current events and ideas. Hilarious opening stories hooked audiences, with boys demonstrating their ability to relate to others’ experiences and values. All students worked hard to achieve a balance of fact, opinion and open-mindedness, all woven into clever story telling formats. Engaged audiences appreciated their peers’ work and the judges’ praises were well-received.

Carla Salmon
Coordinator of Middle School Public Speaking

	first  place	second place	third place	fourth place
Year 5	Will Angelini	Mason Gao	Lachlan Tan
Year 6	Henry Woodward	Kobi Stevens Thomas Scott	Julian Chin	Sam Prasad
Year 7	Om Thakar	Rishi Mehta	Charles Nelson
Year 8	Lucas Lu	Matteo Boccolacci	Luke Saywell

We reached many readers with a wide variety of students in each class contributing. This would not have been possible without the support and enthusiasm from the BGS community – thank you for your efforts and assistance. 

Despite the tallying being over, we hope this will not stop the newfound keenness for pursuing varied reading experiences.

The winners are: 5B, 6C, 7H and 8E. Each class will enjoy a movie experience complete with treats. Congratulations, and read on!

Dani Smith, Vicki Palmer and Sarah Lusink
Teacher Librarians
 

Year 5 Reading: DEAR (Drop Everything and Read)

Following the success of Bookopoly, which showed that boys love and value the time given to reading, Year 5 teachers implemented a week-long activity called Drop Everything and Read.

The premise is that at a surprise time each day, a bell will ring, and boys and teachers will stop their lesson and read for pleasure for 15 minutes.

A program like this gives boys time to read what they want to read and develop a love of books, whether they are fiction or non-fiction. This style of reading like this adds up; if a student reads for 15 minutes a day, in one year he will have read over 1,000,000 words!

Finn Beltrame in 5C said, “It’s really cool to be able to read in class time, and it’s helpful for people who don’t read much and need some encouragement to read.”

Stella Gardner and Vicki Palmer
Middle School teacher and Teacher Librarian

Rehearsals and Lessons

It has been a delight to hear boys playing and singing again in the Music Department. I thank and congratulate the BGS Music community for their devotion during the quarantine period.

All lessons (private and group) have recommenced. Rehearsals have also resumed, although some changes have been made to ensure the safety of students and staff. Full details are available via the Music section of MyGrammar.

Performance Awards

With the recent COVID restrictions for cocurricular music activities, this year’s Performance Awards will become a virtual event, with boys submitting recordings of themselves presenting their repertoire.

It was very encouraging to see many boys making an effort to participate, with some very entertaining presentations submitted. Entries are now closed, and judging is currently underway. The results will be made available soon (successful students will be notified next week).

We are looking forward to the live finals for the Advanced A sections in most categories and the Concerto Awards. While the finals will be closed performances due to restrictions, they will be recorded and made available to parents and supporters. See the schedule below.

Thursday 9 September	3.30pm	Brass Performance Awards – Advanced A finals
Friday 10 September	4.00pm	String Performance Awards – Advanced A finals
Sunday 12 September	9.00am 1.00pm 2.00pm 3.00pm	Concerto Performance Awards Woodwind Performance Awards – Advanced A finals Vocal Performance Awards – Advanced A finals Piano Performance Awards – Advanced A finals
Tuesday 14 September	3.20pm	Percussion and Drum Performance Awards – Advanced A finals

Peter Ingram
Head of Music

This week's Rugby newsletter is available via MyGrammar. 

BGS and BGGS Student Entrepreneur Group Weekend | Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 November 2021

Do you have a business idea? Are you frustrated by a problem that needs solving? The satisfaction of solving real-life problems and learning how to commercialise an idea is very exciting.

Together with BGS and BGGS, Aussie Founders Network is hosting a hands-on weekend experience where students can determine if their startup ideas are viable. Participants communicate their best ideas and inspire others to join their team, beginning with open mic pitches on Saturday morning.

We are looking for Year 11 students who want to challenge themselves.

Who: The lead facilitator for this program is Vibhor Pandey. Vibhor is a data culturist, entrepreneur and a practising academic at QUT where he works in the School of Management. He is currently completing his PhD in Entrepreneurship Research.

What: Student teams will be focused on customer development, validating their ideas, practising LEAN startup methodologies and building a minimal viable product. By Sunday afternoon, teams will demo their prototypes and receive valuable feedback from a panel of experts.

Why:  This program is for you if you are in Year 11 and would like to:

• Learn what it really takes to start a company
• Learn from entrepreneurs, panels and speakers
• Learn through collaboration
• Learn by doing – in an exciting, challenging, fun environment.

When: Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 November 2021

Where: The Lilley Centre Forum (BGS)

How: Register your interest by emailing BGS Head of Economics at Kate.Stevenson@brisbanegrammar.com.

Kate Stevenson
Head of Economics

The P&F Auxiliary is a subcommittee of the P&F Association that facilitates fundraising and fosters parent fellowship and the sense of strong community at Brisbane Grammar School. All profits are returned to the School to enhance the experience for students and families.

The Tuckshop and Grammar Shop are currently operating cash-free, so please plan accordingly. Safety guidelines regarding social distancing and hand sanitising will continue in both locations. 

Tuckshop

Open weekdays before school, during breaks and at lunchtime.

The Tuckshop provides a selection of hot food, fresh salads, wraps, rolls and drinks. Please recharge your BGS Card here.

Grammar Shop

Open weekdays from 7.30am to 11.00am.

PAYMENT 

Grammar Shop staff appreciate parents arranging payment for their sons prior to their arrival. The simplest way for students to pay is by using their BGS Card, which can be topped up online (MyGrammar > BGS Card).

The Grammar Shop can no longer hold separate credit for planned purchases, nor can it hold credit card details for later purchases. The BGS Card is a great alternative. While we can accept phone orders or order forms for specific items, if you're unsure of the size required, please add funds to your student's BGS Card instead.

RETURNED EMBROIDERY

Families who are waiting for returned embroidery should check here (MyGrammar > P&F Auxiliary > Embroidered Item Pick Up List) to confirm whether their items are awaiting collection in the Grammar Shop.

Please call the Grammar Shop on 07 3834 5347 to discuss your needs. 

Joanne Villiers
P&F Auxiliary

Tuckshop +61 7 3834 5229
Grammar Shop +61 7 3834 5347
Roster Secretary Lana Szumowski - auxiliaryvolunteers@brisbanegrammar.com

Grammar Shop hours
Weekdays 7.30am – 11.00am

Tuckshop hours
Weekdays 7.00am – 2.00pm

Due to social distancing, we can only have three volunteers for breakfast and six volunteers for morning tea and lunch.

BGS Music raffle

The BGS Music raffle is back in 2021 to overcome COVID impacted fundraising activities. Prizes include Queensland Cricketers' Club memberships, hampers, Brisbane Lions tickets and more. Funds raised allow the BGS Music Support Group to commission new works, and purchase new instruments and other staging and performance equipment. Please support the BGS Music raffle here.

Tanya Graves
Music Support Group President

It was wonderful to see BGS Rugby teams take to the field again. There was plenty of respect earned in highly competitive games and a few key victories.

Our attention now turns to the last two rounds of the 2021 season, both at home.

Northgate will be the place to be for players, students, friends and family. Be sure to grab your friends and fill the stadium for the First XV match at 2.15pm.

While the players will earn your respect on the field, the Normanby Blues hopes to impress you with the best burgers and rugby rolls in the competition.

Please sign up to help in the canteen and barbeque here. 

Jonte Lowe
President, Normanby Blues
+61 (0) 411 476 472
normanbyblues.support@brisbanegrammar.com

Don't miss the next two BGSOBA Business Breakfasts following the first event being sold out! 

The BGS community is invited to join the below upcoming BGSOBA Business Breakfasts at The Grove Rooftop, 480 Queen Street Brisbane. Community members are encouraged to invite their peers and business associates from beyond the BGS community for this networking opportunity. Join the below events to hear from reputable speakers in the field:

• Entrepreneurship in the Digital Economy | Wednesday 15 September, 7.00am to 8.30am. Panellists include Brett Clark '85 (ePharmacy) and Steve Baxter (entrepreneur, investor, and ‘Shark’ on Shark Tank Australia).​

• The Business of Sport | Thursday 11 November, 7.00am to 8.30am. Panellists announced shortly.

Note, these events are subject to the latest Queensland Health directives.

Click here for more information on upcoming events.

Light Dark Blue: 150 Years of Learning and Leadership at Brisbane Grammar School is available for purchase. The beautiful 500-page hardcover book updates the BGS story with previously untold anecdotes, rare photographs and illustrations. With a limited print run, it is sure to become a sought after collector’s item. Standard edition and limited editions are available.

Click here to view all BGS150 merchandise – limited stocks remain.

Term 3
Tuesday 13 July – Friday 17 September

Term 4
Tuesday 5 October – Friday 26 November